Felix Rosenqvist puts a difficult weekend behind in the inaugural edition of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, as the Indy 500 winner was forced to retire from INDYCAR’s new Canadian round.
Just one week after gracing the podium in Portland, Rosenqvist endured a disappointing event as racing resumed on the streets of Markham, struggling for pace and ultimately retiring early in Sunday’s race.
Rosenqvist led the Meyer Shank Racing charge in qualifying on the new street course, but still found himself down in 16th on the grid. Contact at the start dropped the Swede further down the order and a resulting slow puncture caused him to pit as early as lap six, sending him to the back of the field.
The day then ended prematurely as a fuel pump issue forced Rosenqvist to park up on lap 18 of 90.
“Tough one,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “I had contact early on and carried some damage, and then we had to retire the car with an unrelated fuel pump issue. Only positive is that we were having a rough weekend anyway, so if it ever had to happen, today was the right timing for it. On to Washington.”
Coming up next on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule is another new street course event, as the hotly-anticipated Freedom 250 Grand Prix takes center stage next weekend (August 22-23) in Washington, D.C.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 14
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham
Streets of Markham (Canada)
1: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Andretti, 90 laps
2: Romain Grosjean (FRA), Dale Coyne Racing, +7.530s
3: Will Power (AUS), Andretti, +10.558s
4: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, +10.745s
5: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren, +11.165s
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DNF: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, +72 laps
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 14/18 races
1: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 542 p.
2: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), Andretti, 409 p.
3: David Malukas (USA), Penske, 405 p.
4: Christian Lundgaard (DEN), Arrow McLaren, 403 p.
5: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren, 385 p.
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8: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, 344 p.